Columbus North junior Allison Kolhouse is The Republic Girls Soccer Player of the Year. She is pictured at the BCSC Soccer Complex in Columbus, Ind., Friday, Oct. 18, 2024.
Mike Wolanin | The Republic
Coming into the girls soccer season, Allison Kolhouse didn’t imagine she’d be a big integral part of the Columbus North attack.
During the offseason, Kolhouse began practicing corner kicks, and it worked well for her. It caught the attention of coach David Young. When Young assessed the team’s strengths and weaknesses from the last season to the next season, he mentioned one area that needed improvement this year was set pieces.
Kolhouse, who is naturally the center back on the defensive line, found herself the focal point of the corner kicks. It paid off in a huge way for her. The junior connected on seven goals, while also helping the team produce 14 shutouts, including 11 in a row on defense.
“Coming in, I never expected seven goals,” said Kolhouse, The Republic Girls Soccer Player of the Year. “I went up a few times (on corner kicks) last year but not every single time, probably once a game at the most. I think this year when we were working on it in practice, I might have a chance. I never expected it when (Young) first told me. I was really excited.”
What made Kolhouse so dangerous during set pieces was her height. She would leap over some defenders at times to win the header on the ball and direct it to the net. It was what made the team so effective from corner kicks this year.
“Allison has always been great in the air. She reads the ball well,” Young said. “We found a combination of her reading the aerial ball, and her hunger to score goals was a great combination to have in front of the goal on set pieces. Hopefully, we can replicate that during the 2025 season.”
With as big of a responsibility during set pieces, Kolhouse also is the general for the defense. Kolhouse said communication is the biggest key in being in the leadership role. She added that she can see the whole field better as opposed to midfielders and strikers, who are concentrated looking at the ball.
“Allison has always been a great leader for us, but this year, she found her voice on the field,” Young said. “Allison’s ‘roll-up-your-sleeves-and-get-to-work’ mentality came through this season and earned her teammates’ respect. Players gravitate to her, follow her lead, and our defensive success on the pitch this season was a direct result of Allison professionalism on the field.”
While having much success on the field, Kolhouse had many accolades off it. She was named All-State honorable mention and All-District 4 by the Indiana Soccer Coaches Association and was named All-Conference Indiana.
“I think this year, I really focused a lot on my team and focused on what we could do to be successful,” Kolhouse said. “We focused in a lot on set pieces, we focused a lot more on our defense and then we focused on working as a team and really connecting.”
Kolhouse got to see success firsthand when she watched her older sisters Kate and Kara played for the Bull Dogs when she was younger. Allison followed in Kate’s footsteps and plays the center back position.
Allison Kolhouse got to see all of the success the team had over the years, and in particular, the Class 3A Final Four run in 2020.
“I’ve been to a lot of games, so when coach tells me this happened or that happened, I’m like, ‘Yeah, I remember,’” Kolhouse said. “I’ve seen a lot of things, and that’s helped me become a better soccer player. It’s helped me become more ambitious because I see all those people doing things. I saw all the great players from a few years ago. It gives me a goal to be at.”
With a very strong JV team that lost only one game in the past two years, the Bull Dogs are in prime position to be a top-15 team in the state next year.
Kolhouse was glad all her work paid off for her this year and is hoping for bigger and better things next year.
“I’m really excited because I think this year, it’s been a record breaker, and that’s really exciting,” she said. “Us getting back in the top 20 for the first time in three years has really excited me because that was one of my own goals for the team. This year, I knew we could do it. I knew we had to work together and work really hard.”
The Republic 2024 All-Area Girls Soccer team:
Allison Kolhouse, Columbus North: The junior scored seven goals and led a defense that allowed only seven goals in 16 games.
Avery Baker, Columbus North: The sophomore led the Bull Dogs with nine goals and had four assists.
Rachel Merritt, Columbus North: The senior scored one goal and led the Bull Dogs with 12 assists.
Page Mora, Columbus North: The senior recorded two goals and one assist.
Brooklyn Pendleton, Columbus North: The junior helped lead a defense that allowed only seven goals in 17 games.
Rachel Fulp, Columbus North: The sophomore netted four goals and five assists.
Paige Terry, Columbus North: The senior recorded four goals and two assists.
Danika Hoehn, Columbus North: The sophomore posted a 0.29 goals-against average and was part of 14 shutouts in 17 games.
Sophie Glick, Columbus East: The junior led the Olympians with four goals and two assists.
Emma Christie, Columbus East: The junior posted 89 saves and scored two goals.
Maddie McIntosh, Jennings County: The senior led the Panthers with 12 goals and seven assists.
Lilly Roll, Hauser: The senior led the Jets with 10 goals.
Anyah Carrigan, Trinity Lutheran: The freshman led the Cougars with 17 goals.
Honorable mention
Brown County: Ava Stogsdill. Columbus East: Bree Hatcher, Morgan Scott, Cadence Zeser. Columbus North: Hayden Bigler, Grace Merritt, Greta Schuetz, Gabby Spurgeon. Hauser: Haylin Campbell. Jennings County: Trinity Burke, Alayna Phillips. Trinity Lutheran: Layla Jones.
